What happened to the original EverQuest 1 Team?

[Schadenfroh]

I heard a while back that SOE downsized them all to get cheaper employees, is this true?


about blizzard
I also found this: Text from way back.

Was that the bulk of the brains behind the diablo/warcraft series? Also, where did they go? Did most go to the other company to make guild wars?

 

[Acanthus]

It was not the brains behind the warcraft series, they were from the team developing the next generation diablo title.

As for SOE, i dunno, EQ sucked on release and sucked a whole lot more later on

 

[MrBond]

I've heard people say several times that people that worked on EQ were eventually hired to work on WoW with blizzard, so they could help avoid EQ's mistakes.

I have no idea if that's true or not.

I think some members of the Diablo 2 team left to work on Guild Wars as well

 

[Bateluer]

The bulk of the original EQ1 development team is now working on the MMO Vanguard. To my knowledge, the Diablo 2 team of Blizzard North is fairly scattered now, some working on Guild Wars, some working on other titles.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
The bulk of the original EQ1 development team is now working on the MMO Vanguard.

Yep, here's the website. Personally I'm really looking forward to this title. Brad McQuaid was the head of EQ and had a philosophy about the genre which I highly agreed with ('The Vision'). The changes made to staffing which included him leaving marked the beginning of EQ's downfall. He's now heading up Vanguard, and with financial backing from Microsoft it could really be something.

 

[BigPoppa]

EQ team: Live, Kunark, Velious, Framework of Luclin = Sigil, lead by Brad McQuaid as mentioned = working on Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.

 

[Fenixgoon]

the blizzard guys started Flagship Studios, iirc

 

[Malak]

The original team was a part of a studio called Condor, working on Diablo. The title was about 75% finished when Blizzard Entertainment bought them and renamed them to Blizzard North. Blizzard North only worked on Diablo and Diablo 2. Due to mismanagement at Blizzard, the key players left to form Flagship Studios where they are presently working on what looks like a mix between post-apocalyptic and Diablo.

The people who built Battle.net and a couple others joined Arena.net and are working on Guildwars, including someone who worked at Diabloii.net. I have heard of a 3rd studio made up of other Blizzard employees, but know nothing about it.

 

[Malak]

Quote from a Flagship fansite:

The title of the game is Hellgate: London, which can best be described as a RPG-FPS hybrid!

 

[Bateluer]

Just want in need the PC Gaming market, more hack 'n' slash, no story/plot/character/dialogue, Diablo clones.

 

[Zugzwang152]

Vanguard looks amazing. I am sooo playing that game!

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152
Vanguard looks amazing. I am sooo playing that game!

I have a friend that is a producer for that. I haven't paid much attention to it though.

 

[Yossairian]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Bateluer
The bulk of the original EQ1 development team is now working on the MMO Vanguard.

Yep, here's the website. Personally I'm really looking forward to this title. Brad McQuaid was the head of EQ and had a philosophy about the genre which I highly agreed with ('The Vision'). The changes made to staffing which included him leaving marked the beginning of EQ's downfall. He's now heading up Vanguard, and with financial backing from Microsoft it could really be something.

Cool, another game to look forward to thanks for the heads up. Any word on the expected release ? I poked around on the site a bit, FAQ, Forums but I may have missed it.

 

[Farmer]

I really don't like the idea of Hellgate. The concept is good (though its been introduced already with the next Morrowind game), but I would have much rather it been set in a Diablo-esque fantasy realm or an alternate-present situation witha combination of real weapons and fake weapons. A future/fantasy mixture with extremely odd-looking weapons doesn't fit me at all, but I guess some people must like it.

In otherwords, I wish Hellgate would've simply been Diablo 3.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Yossairian

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Bateluer
The bulk of the original EQ1 development team is now working on the MMO Vanguard.

Yep, here's the website. Personally I'm really looking forward to this title. Brad McQuaid was the head of EQ and had a philosophy about the genre which I highly agreed with ('The Vision'). The changes made to staffing which included him leaving marked the beginning of EQ's downfall. He's now heading up Vanguard, and with financial backing from Microsoft it could really be something.

Cool, another game to look forward to thanks for the heads up. Any word on the expected release ? I poked around on the site a bit, FAQ, Forums but I may have missed it.

Don't hold your breath, it'll be a while. Play WoW in the meanwhile

 

[Schadenfroh]

bump

 

[skace]

Bump why?

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: skace
Bump why?

to get more info

 

[skace]

Old EQ Team = Verant -> Sigil -> Vanguard
Old Diablo Team = Blizzard North -> Flagship Studios -> Hellgate:London

 

[Gurck]

Been reading up in the Vanguard forums and site, I'm getting way too excited about it considering it's probably still 2 years off. It's shaping up to possibly be everything EQ was before Sony raped it, and everything other MMORPGs can't even hope to be. Further, someone on the team has confirmed that, at least at launch, it will NOT be an xbox2 title

 

[Oakenfold]

Vanguard does look great but honestly it's still a long ways off, interesting that MS is investing in the project. Who knows...

 

[Yossairian]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Yossairian

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Bateluer
The bulk of the original EQ1 development team is now working on the MMO Vanguard.

Yep, here's the website. Personally I'm really looking forward to this title. Brad McQuaid was the head of EQ and had a philosophy about the genre which I highly agreed with ('The Vision'). The changes made to staffing which included him leaving marked the beginning of EQ's downfall. He's now heading up Vanguard, and with financial backing from Microsoft it could really be something.

Cool, another game to look forward to thanks for the heads up. Any word on the expected release ? I poked around on the site a bit, FAQ, Forums but I may have missed it.

Don't hold your breath, it'll be a while. Play WoW in the meanwhile

I'm probibly going to get banned for saying this, but WoW did not hold my attention very much. To be fair, I didnt really give it much of a run. I only played about.. 15-20 hrs during my free month, so I am sure it would be different if I had more time invested.

Right now I am futzing around with Guildwars. I know, its not the same type of game but I am having alot of fun with the quests and such. The most attractive part for me right now is the no monthly fee. Until I get regular free time in the evenings *2 yr old at home* I dont imagine I will get into another pay-per month unless it really blows my skirt up. Its hard for me to feel like I am getting my $$ worth unless I can get a couple hours in each night.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Yossairian
I'm probibly going to get banned for saying this, but WoW did not hold my attention very much. To be fair, I didnt really give it much of a run. I only played about.. 15-20 hrs during my free month, so I am sure it would be different if I had more time invested.

Right now I am futzing around with Guildwars. I know, its not the same type of game but I am having alot of fun with the quests and such. The most attractive part for me right now is the no monthly fee. Until I get regular free time in the evenings *2 yr old at home* I dont imagine I will get into another pay-per month unless it really blows my skirt up. Its hard for me to feel like I am getting my $$ worth unless I can get a couple hours in each night.

:Q ... Ban!! Lol, different strokes and all, some people want to play a game, some want to PvP, some want to completely lose themselves in the immersion... I'm that last type and it's why I'm looking forward to VG. Actually I quit WoW, it was a good game but a bit too casual for my tastes and with way too much of a focus on PvP for the PvE servers.